A common motor vehicle drive axle may include a carrier housing or carrier, a pair of axle tubes on opposite sides of a center housing, and a pair of axle shafts rotatably supported and housed by the axle tubes. A gear-set in the center housing includes a pinion that connects a drive shaft to a differential assembly through the gear set. The differential assembly transmits torque and rotation to the axle shafts through pinions, and allows relative rotation between the wheels of the motor vehicle.
The axle carrier housing is typically fabricated from cast iron. However, cast iron is relatively heavy and adds weight to a vehicle, which reduces vehicle fuel efficiency. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a carrier housing having significant mass reduction relative to a cast iron carrier housing and that is capable of handling high torque and rear vehicle sprung mass.